Gematria’s Shakespeare and/or Shakespeare’s Gematria By Becky Willner

a) What exactly do we do when we translate? b)What exactly do we create when we translate? c) Does it equal the “original”? (oh no, is it worse?)

Sonnet #17 Who will believe my verse in time to come, If it were filled with your most high deserts? Though yet heaven knows it is but as a tomb Which hides your life, and shows not half your parts If I could write the beauty of your eyes, And in fresh numbers number all your graces, The age to come would say 'This poet lies; Such heavenly touches ne'er touched earthly faces.' ? So should my papers, yellowed with their age, Be scorned, like old men of less truth than tongue, And your true rights be termed a poet's rage And stretched metre of an antique song: But were some child of yours alive that time, You should live twice, in it, and in my rhyme.

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z =

Sonnet # , = , ?= ? = , = = ,= , ;= ; ’ ’= ’ , ,= , , , ,= , ’ = := : ,= , , , = , ,

Sonnet # 17 = ? , = 3614= if too many woes within us wander, cede ?= 3748 = whether whimsy wains awaits sad, = 3911 = well then romanticize the romance of the romans’ roaming epitaphs! a idea! = 4679 = so just plant anacoluthon in your garden, pluck the grammar weed, = 4690 = sprout what will the pungent in sigh and pernicious tangents ,= 3418 = give shade like a book cover to the if sweating words: ;= 2894 = moisture makes ink cry salty (heh) ’ = 4191 = and xenophobic against those appropriated syllable-sprouts. a caged idea , , = 3914 = through bars branches a thick rooted and liquid sound, seismic in calm weight ,= 2552 = the silent isn’t necessarily asleep: sigh Cain blah = 3104 = shut the door to keep the weeds in please walk and be := 2189 = cautious these are historical seams (a high age): ,= 3785 = you yawn the year’s press , , = 4688 = gowned in your antiquated anomalies blend into shade. he at yesterday ails

Sonnet #17 in sound = ? an excerpt: , =Fire hunter: sick sheep hate fire hunter. sick sheep night force under read fife tea slick several under-fed forth he sticks under-read if tea Nile tomb other end if he forgot tool Huns turn red thief he forms to understand ends sticks and tea one hurls dead hate, ? =fighting tools under the bed night sick under the bed he ate before Evan’s under the bed -- nice teen! -- run through sand what hunch, dread shifty forts under the desk thirsty to fire under the bed forest trees?

Can sonnet #17 = this? if zeroone two three four five six seven eight nine = Nerowhattombthreatbeforefiresickheaven hate knife f ire sick hate fire sick knife before fire sick heaven before Nero sick Nero Nero fire knife threat fire before tomb sick Nero what Nero hate, what fire tomb Nero knife sick Nero Nero hate before heaven what knife what what fire Nero before Nero Nero threat tomb fire before Nero? fire hate threat knife Nero fire before sick knife heaven threat Nero tomb Nero knife what Nero knife fire Nero tomb what Nero what what threat Nero tomb fire tomb hate what sick tomb what what fire Nero fire Nero fire fire heaven sick hate threat what Nero before fire what what fire Nero before sick what. what fire knife threat knife heaven hate Nero before tomb what threat what tomb tomb sick sick sick what what fire Nero hate what Nero. fire fire fire knife tomb Nero knife fire hate heaven before hate heaven sick what what what fire Nero tomb Nero sick, tomb hate fire what threat hate knife before what Nero fire hate Nero what threat what heaven threat threat fire what before before; before threat hate what what knife knife sick heaven sick what fire Nero fire hate Nero what Nero threat before what what before.’ what sick Nero fire Nero tomb heaven before Nero tomb threat sick, what threat threat before heaven what heaven tomb what tomb what threat, heaven threat what tomb sick before knife before knife fire sick sick tomb threat fire heaven knife hate tomb fire knife sick tomb tomb, fire fire what what fire Nero fire knife fire before what before heaven threat before before what before threat fire what Nero threat fire fire hate what fire threat before Nero sick sick fire what sick before fire tomb what heaven: fire what tomb sick Nero Nero tomb Nero fire fire before sick sick what tomb fire Nero before before fire before Nero knife tomb fire before, what Nero sick Nero fire Nero tomb before before before heaven what heaven, fire knife tomb Nero knife, fire fire fire knife heaven before Nero hate before threat.

b) (for numbers post 476 that can be articulated by our standard measurements of daily hours and minutes) Time diary of the evening of May 2nd 5:02 I open my 5:02 I hit refresh5:02 I click 5:02 I read 5:28 I hear my name 5:40 I finish speaking: what was I saying? 6:00 I press play.6:00 No, not this one.6:00 This one. 6:22 Microwave beeps: soup. 6:45 Am I still hungry? 7:17 I think about how nice nice sleep sounds. 7:19 I pretend I don’t want to.7:19 But I still do. 7:30 Coffee. 7:40 Bandaids? Yes,7:40 Conditioner? Yes.7:40 Ice cream? Not now. 8:01 Friend is 1 minute late 8:04 Friend is 4 minutes late. 8:10 Friend arrives. 8:15 We wait. 8:43 I don’t have much time. 9:05 I wonder where she is. 10:34 I wish I wasn’t at work. 11:50 I wish I could go home11:50 again11:50 home 11:50 sleep11:50 again11:50 I wish I could 12:26 Friends switch places. 12:50 I agree 13:34 I don’t understand. +

c) My family in the remaining dates (for example April ’87 = 487, etc) October ’60 = My father in new Middle School having moved many times May ’68 = My mother thinking she cannot stay at home July ’68 = My mother knowing she cannot stay at home May ’69= My mother having to stay at home June ’76= My father studying philosophy May ’80= My parents having met May ’83 = My parents having been married April ’87 = My parents and a son who is 2 May ’87= My parents and a son who is 2 and a dog August ’94= My parents and a son who is 9 and a daughter who is I who is 4 May ’95= My family and 2 dogs July ’98= My family and 3 dogs November ’99=My family and 3 dogs and Y2K = ?

So, are some words “worth more” and are some words “worth less”? part a) ,-> =my verse will who believe to time come in ? your with were deserts most it filled high if yet knows though but heaven tomb it is as a your your shows which parts not hides and life half beauty your eyes write could the of if I , your numbers number graces fresh all in and ; would say poet this to the lies come age ’ heavenly earthly touches touched such ne’er faces , , yellowed my with should their papers so age , truth tongue scorned than less men old of like be your true poet’s rights termed rage and be a : stretched antique metre song of and an , yours were but alive that time some of child , , you rhyme my twice should live it in in and

part b) // = yellowed, yours beauty heavenly your-your-your-your-your your you, earthly yet would rhyme stretched eyes write, say truth shows my my my knows with with twice touches antique tongue will verse were were true numbers, though touched, will? who deserts which? but should, were, should number heaven: parts believe alive, live: such poet’s rights! (that most could) termed metre, poet, this scorned their not tomb to to than time time papers less song the the it, it graces it (fresh) some hides so ne’er lies faces is come, come rage as men old filled of of of of, like, all in In in In and And and-and and child -- an life -- half high. if-if age-age I be be a A, a...